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Wednesday, August 20, 2014

The Thousand Dollar Tan Line


Curiosity won me over. When I watched the series and the movie with my daughters I was intrigued by news that there would be a book series to follow. I could hardly wait to see how the noir version of Nancy Drew would translate into a grown up paperback detective girl. And I was pleasantly surprised. It was a completely different experience from watching the show. The book was not the sharp wit narrative I thought it might be - instead, it was a very readable mystery with familiar characters and a twist at the end plot.

Time-wise, the story takes place soon after the movie. Veronica has taken over Mars Investigations with Mac as her assistant/ tech expert while Kieth recuperates from serious injuries.The business is struggling along on small cases of spousal cheating until Veronica is hired by the local hotel magnate to investigate the disappearance of a girl during spring break. It's twisty and turny with a plot that could fit in a couple of TV episodes. The book treats us to some of the old familiar characters and a little of the Veronica perspective we saw in the show and movie - but it all comes across quite differently in third person descriptive print.

Still, it is quite readable as a mystery whether it's read by a fan of the show or not. However, I do think it will appeal far more to already existing fans. You can pick it up at all the usual places, but if you're a total diehard fan of the TV series and not so much of the movie; or if you're unfamiliar with the whole fandom thing, you might want to pick this first issue up from a library to take it for a spin before committing.
On Amazon